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Make us believe again, Bruce
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Mr Bruce Golding made believers out of Jamaicans when he declared in 1995 that he would walk a new and different path in leadership; he would eschew garrison politics; and he would operate as a creature of the Constitution.
No doubt, the new political robe made him more attractive and led to his victory at the helm of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in September 2007, after 18 plus years of the People's National Party (PNP).
Now almost three years in power, Mr Golding and his administration, we believe, are now facing a mid-term crisis of credibility. The populace is rapidly losing faith, and no one needs us to spell out the danger of that state of affairs.
The obvious area of greatest urgency is the need to get on top of the crime situation. But everyone knows that. Except the Government, which appears impotent as the dead bodies mount.
Thankfully, it has now seen fit to appoint the commissioner of police, so that there can be some certainty about the leadership of the Constabulary Force.
Commissioner Mr Owen Ellington can lift our spirits immediately by sharing with the country the findings of his promised audit of the JCF armoury, from which thieving individuals, some in the force, removed guns and ammunition for sale on the streets. It's about time.
Next, Mr Golding can improve his credibility greatly by bringing the extradition treaty stand-off with the United States to a swift close, that is, by instructing the attorney general to sign the order so the Jamaican courts can start looking at the issue.
The prime minister, as we have said before, is too close to the issue, being member of parliament for Western Kingston -- of which Mr Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, the man sought by the US, is a constituent -- and leader of the ruling JLP, of which Mr Coke is a known supporter.
While there are many other issues, some much deeper, we think it is instructive that the US embassy was driven to declare that it does not grant visas on the basis of politics. This statement was no doubt inspired by the decreasing number of applicants for non-immigrant visas. As Jamaicans like to say 'tek sleep mark death'.
Tourism Minister Mr Edmund Bartlett in his constant upbeat mood, trots out nice-sounding figures on the performance of the tourist industry. So why is the mood in the industry itself not quite so upbeat?
Unless the effects are felt in the balance sheet, quoting statistics is not credible. Mr Bartlett tells us that tourism grew by 3.6% in 2009, that is compared with declines of 10.2% in Cayman; 11.4% in The Bahamas; 8.7% in Barbados; 15.6% in Cancún; and growth of only 3.5% in Cuba, which is on fire at the moment. Then he projects growth of 6% for Jamaica, or earnings of US$2.06 billion in the next year, compared with US$1.9 billion last year.
With heavy discounts, the industry is fighting for every guest, and with little help from Mr Bartlett, who is largely relying on programmes inherited from the previous administration. (LoL! ah jus now dem si dat!)
Mr Karl Samuda, the industry minister needs to up the decibel in calling on the finance ministry to get import duty waivers on manufacturing equipment going, so this country can produce. We know that the incident of waiver fraud at the finance ministry necessitates greater vigilance, but surely not a cessation of waivers, while equipment sit idle on the wharf.
The state of the economy might not be the fault of the administration, but these are matters which go the heart of its credibility.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Mr Bruce Golding made believers out of Jamaicans when he declared in 1995 that he would walk a new and different path in leadership; he would eschew garrison politics; and he would operate as a creature of the Constitution.
No doubt, the new political robe made him more attractive and led to his victory at the helm of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in September 2007, after 18 plus years of the People's National Party (PNP).
Now almost three years in power, Mr Golding and his administration, we believe, are now facing a mid-term crisis of credibility. The populace is rapidly losing faith, and no one needs us to spell out the danger of that state of affairs.
The obvious area of greatest urgency is the need to get on top of the crime situation. But everyone knows that. Except the Government, which appears impotent as the dead bodies mount.
Thankfully, it has now seen fit to appoint the commissioner of police, so that there can be some certainty about the leadership of the Constabulary Force.
Commissioner Mr Owen Ellington can lift our spirits immediately by sharing with the country the findings of his promised audit of the JCF armoury, from which thieving individuals, some in the force, removed guns and ammunition for sale on the streets. It's about time.
Next, Mr Golding can improve his credibility greatly by bringing the extradition treaty stand-off with the United States to a swift close, that is, by instructing the attorney general to sign the order so the Jamaican courts can start looking at the issue.
The prime minister, as we have said before, is too close to the issue, being member of parliament for Western Kingston -- of which Mr Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, the man sought by the US, is a constituent -- and leader of the ruling JLP, of which Mr Coke is a known supporter.
While there are many other issues, some much deeper, we think it is instructive that the US embassy was driven to declare that it does not grant visas on the basis of politics. This statement was no doubt inspired by the decreasing number of applicants for non-immigrant visas. As Jamaicans like to say 'tek sleep mark death'.
Tourism Minister Mr Edmund Bartlett in his constant upbeat mood, trots out nice-sounding figures on the performance of the tourist industry. So why is the mood in the industry itself not quite so upbeat?
Unless the effects are felt in the balance sheet, quoting statistics is not credible. Mr Bartlett tells us that tourism grew by 3.6% in 2009, that is compared with declines of 10.2% in Cayman; 11.4% in The Bahamas; 8.7% in Barbados; 15.6% in Cancún; and growth of only 3.5% in Cuba, which is on fire at the moment. Then he projects growth of 6% for Jamaica, or earnings of US$2.06 billion in the next year, compared with US$1.9 billion last year.
With heavy discounts, the industry is fighting for every guest, and with little help from Mr Bartlett, who is largely relying on programmes inherited from the previous administration. (LoL! ah jus now dem si dat!)
Mr Karl Samuda, the industry minister needs to up the decibel in calling on the finance ministry to get import duty waivers on manufacturing equipment going, so this country can produce. We know that the incident of waiver fraud at the finance ministry necessitates greater vigilance, but surely not a cessation of waivers, while equipment sit idle on the wharf.
The state of the economy might not be the fault of the administration, but these are matters which go the heart of its credibility.
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